


Foreign Policies

by artificial_ink



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Darcy Sam and Steve are my BrOT3, Darcy and Sam are BFFLs, F/M, High School AU, Sam and Natasha are wingmen, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-31
Updated: 2015-06-25
Packaged: 2018-04-02 03:06:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 21,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4043440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artificial_ink/pseuds/artificial_ink
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Darcy was in high school, she had a major crush on a Sokovian exchange student. She never expected to see him again once they were all grown up and from the looks of it, neither did Pietro.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Teenage Wasteland

**Author's Note:**

> This was a prompt I saw from not-whatitseems over on the FYDarcyLewis tumblr. Here's my take on it! I didn't mean for it to be so long but it wouldn't stop growing and apparently I'm unable to write anything short. 
> 
> Italicized sentences mean it is spoken in Sokovian. 
> 
> Explicit rating is potentially for the second chapter.

He hated this country. He hated this school. He hated the students he was forced to endure everyday. He hated everything about this and he had only spent a week in America. Wanda tried to be positive about the exchange program their orphanage practically sold them into but it all was just a flimsy attempt to build a corrupt government’s stance. In a sign of goodwill towards America, youth would be shipped over from Sokovia, spend four months at an American school and make the Americans feel like they were doing good for the world. In exchange, Sokovia would get more Stark bombs.

It was sickening and he wanted no part of it but somehow, his voice was the least important. No one paid him and his sister any mind unless they could be used. All he wanted was to be back home. Their 16th birthday was approaching. Maybe they’d be able to join the revolutionaries and do some actual good for their country. He was counting down the days until they would be back home. Until then, he’d have to let himself be the pawn. To take the pity from everyone in this terrible country.

All that looked at them and heard their story wanted to ‘fix’ the twins. The poor twins who were parentless and powerless. No one thought he was capable of anything. Not these new teachers, not the family housing him and definitely not the kids around him. They all pitied him for his life when really, he was the one that pitied them.

So he counted down the hours until he was free because that was all he could do now. Taking out the only picture he had left of his parents, Pietro looked down at the smiling faces. Leaning into his open locker, he let the sounds around him fade out as he remembered how his family used to be whole and how life was almost as simple as the other students’ that were walking past. Before bombs rained down and took everything. Before he even realized Sokovia was on the brink of war…

The moment of calm was cut short when someone ripped the photo out of his hand.

“What you lookin’ at Boris? Porn?” asked the mocking voice of a large boy in a red and white jacket. Pietro remembered him from one of his classes but that was all he could recall. The boy looked down with an ugly sneer that marred his all-American features, holding the picture above Pietro’s head and daring him to jump for it. When Pietro just stared, the boy pushed him back into the door of the locker. “Where’s Natasha? She’s your sister right? She’s sort of hot.”

Rage thrummed through him. A hush fell as those passing by began to watch. Even though the boy was twice his size, it didn’t stop Pietro from needing to teach him and everyone watching a lesson. His hands twisted into fists but before Pietro had a chance to react, the other boy was pushed back into the lockers. A girl with long brown hair, glasses and raged fueled eyes had thrown her bag into the boy’s gut. With a grunt, the boy covered his stomach to block any future attacks. When his grip on the picture loosened, the girl easily plucked it away.

“That’s for groping Suze at Alan’s party,” the girl yelled. Students that started to slow down and watch the altercation now stopped. Whispers, snickers and calls to egg on the fight flew in the air.

“Who?” the boy asked but feigning ignorance only made the girl angrier. She kicked his shin. From the way he slipped towards the ground, Pietro could tell it would leave a nasty bruise.

“Seriously? You’re such a sleaze Noah. If you or your goons ever get near me and my friends again, I will taser your fucking balls until they fall off.”

“C’mon Darcy, we both know you wanna do other things to my balls,” Noah said with a smirk and Pietro’s hands balled into fists again. His arm began to pull back and he was ready to jump in but the flash in her blue eyes made him pause. Determination sparked in her. Obviously, she wasn’t going to let anyone fight her own battle. This girl was a fireball.

“My uncle’s a cop and I’m sure he’ll be more than happy to arrest your ass for the beer you brought. Seriously, don’t fuck with me,” Darcy said, kneeing the boy just hard enough so he would curl up with a grunt and fall to the floor. Although Pietro felt a twinge of pity, he was impressed. The students around laughed and a dangerous expression flashed across Noah’s face.

“Hey! What’s going on here?” Students parted as a teacher pushed her way in. She took in the scene before her and frowned at Darcy but the girl stood tall. The teacher frowned. “Noah, is there something wrong?”

“No Miss West,” spat Noah, glaring at Darcy and Pietro one last time before standing up. “Nothing’s the matter. I just tripped and Darcy was helping me back up.”

Miss West looked between the three students, clearly not believing a word but eventually decided that she couldn’t pursue the matter without actual information. With a final glare, Noah left. When he was gone and the crowd slowly dispersed, Miss West looked at Darcy, expecting a few more answers but all Darcy did was smile innocently and shrug.

Once Miss West left, huffing slightly along the way, Darcy remembered she had Pietro’s picture in her hand. She turned to Pietro, seeing him for the first time. A dreamy cloud of lemon and vanilla powder engulfed him. A blush reddened Darcy’s cheeks and Pietro’s heart started to race. Suddenly bashful, Darcy held out Pietro’s photo.

“Thanks,” Pietro mumbled, stuffing the photo back into his pocket, careful not to bend or tear it. When he looked back up, Darcy was smiling. Her lips were tinted with the faintest of red, a number of dark colored chokers hung tight around her neck and her clothes were an interesting mix of bright colors and black. She was kind of cute. For an American.

“Noah’s a douche,” Darcy rolled her eyes. She clutched her books to her chest and pushed back a loose strand of straight hair behind her ear. Pietro wanted to twirl it around his finger. “You’re one of the exchange students, right?”

“Yes,” Pietro swallowed past the lump in his throat, hating himself for not being able to come up with something more interesting to say. Another surge of self-hatred came forward when he wondered why he should even try to hold her attention for longer than he had to.

“Cool. My name’s Darcy.”

“Pietro.”

They fell silent. The crowds around them thinned as students scurried towards their next lesson. Although the halls were filled with noise just moments before, a calm had taken over. A bell rang, signaling the beginning of the period. Yet they didn’t follow, instead choosing to glance awkwardly at each other. Pietro could feel his cheeks start to heat when he realized he’d been staring at her lips.

“Well…I need to get to class. See you around?” Darcy cleared her throat, small uncertain smile turning her lips. She turned and walked down the hall. There was a certain sway to her hips that Pietro couldn’t tear his eyes away from.

“ _She’s cute_ ,” Wanda said, making Pietro jump. He turned to find her standing behind his locker door with a knowing smirk. To not notice her approaching, he must have really been lost in his thoughts. The realization made him uncomfortable. “ _Are you going to ask her to the spring dance_?”

“ _Dance_?” asked Pietro with a furrowed brow. Wanda gestured to a sign across from them. In large, colorful letters, it offered information about the ‘Spring Fling’. Held in the school gym at the end of the month from 6:30 till 10:30. Tickets were $10 per person. Money he didn’t really have and surrounded by people he didn’t like. “ _Why would I do that_?”

“ _Perhaps there are some things about America you will not hate_ ,” shrugged Wanda.

Scoffing, Pietro looked at his twin with disbelief but the fast beat of his heart suggested he couldn’t deny it. He looked down the hall where Darcy had been and frowned.

 

* * *

  

Their host mother, Mrs. Williams, left her son Colin, along with Pietro and Wanda, in front of the mall. Each had twenty dollars for food and was instructed to come back to the entrance at 6:30 to be picked up. Once her car was out of sight, Colin ran off to meet up with his friends, leaving Pietro and Wanda to fend for themselves in a sea of bright displays, cold air and the chatter of capitalism. Still, they did well enough, wandering through the mall to laugh at needless products and the shoppers who had to have them. Eventually, they found themselves in a store named _Build-A-Bear_ , wherein many young children were all creating a toy to fit their own needs and preferences. Pietro raised an eyebrow at all the clothing options for the stuffed animals. He was just about to suggest they leave when a familiar voice asked him if he needed assistance.

Turning around, he found Darcy wearing a bright red shirt and an expression of horror once she saw whom she was talking to. She blushed and Pietro felt his own cheeks heat. He put the tiny suit jacket he had in his hand back on the display. During the past few days, he’d been quietly watching her from afar and was intrigued by what he saw. This was a girl who stood up for what she believed in, although sometimes quietly. Also, she got in trouble a couple times when arguing with her teachers by disagreeing with their methods. Wanda even thought she had verve and had started a few conversations with her.

“You work here?” Pietro asked dumbly, as if the red shirt with the store’s logo wasn’t enough of a clue. Next to him, Wanda watched in interest but tried to hide her obvious staring by glancing down at a pair of tiny shoes.

“Yeah. Building overpriced stuffed animals, totally my passion,” Darcy rolled her eyes but offered a tiny smile to soften the sardonic tone.

“I admire a woman who has found it at such a young age,” Pietro said and Darcy laughed. The noise made his stomach flutter. He didn’t like the feeling and looked away. It left him looking at Wanda who was urging him to continue.

“Hey Darcy, you’re due for a break, right?” All three turned to find a mischievous looking black woman peering over the display. She gave Pietro a once over and obviously approved of what she saw. Then she winked at Darcy rather unsubtly.

“I guess,” mumbled Darcy glaring at the woman who only grinned in return. The tag on her chest stated that her name was Gloria.

“Go on, grab some dinner with your friend,” insisted Gloria. When Pietro looked to Wanda for help, she only feigned innocence.

“Can you help me? How much would it be to make a rabbit?” Wanda asked Gloria. This time Pietro was the one sending a glare. At the question, Wanda and Gloria shared smirks when they realized they were both cohorts.

“Follow me. And Darcy? Remember what I said or I’m cutting your hours,” warned Gloria before walking off with Wanda. When it was obvious that they didn’t have much choice, they caught each other’s gaze but quickly looked away. Eventually, Gloria yelled for Darcy to leave for dinner. Not wanting any more wrath, they left the store and headed for the food court.

“She seemed…nice,” Pietro said in an attempt to make conversation.

“She’s a peach,” Darcy smiled ruefully. “But she’s fun to work with. When you have to deal with brats all day, it helps.”

“Was there anything you wanted to eat?”

“I was planning on Johnny Rockets. You up for burgers and shakes?”

“I…don’t think I’ve ever had an American burger or shake,” said Pietro. At the admission, Darcy’s eyes widened in shock.

“Seriously? Then I’m about to change your life,” she promised with confidence, grabbing his wrist and dragging him behind her. At the touch, tingles ran up his arm and Pietro couldn’t argue that was exactly what she was doing. Although he didn’t want the change, he couldn’t deny the thrill he got whenever she seemed to be near him. That was blatantly obvious about twenty minutes later when they were finishing up their burgers and giggling over their milkshakes. Pietro couldn’t remember the last time he had laughed so much. It was probably before his parents died, if he was completely honest with himself.

There didn’t seem to be much filter between what Darcy thought and said, much to his delight. It was something he often had difficulty with. While in the past this often got him into trouble, it only made light flash through Darcy’s eyes and mirth line her face. A terrible sick feeling seized his gut every time and he didn’t entirely hate it. He’d been attracted to girls and women in the past but this was different somehow. Darcy was different.

“So, I probably sound like an idiot but where’s Sokovia?” Darcy asked, slurping the last of her strawberry milkshake.

“By Romania and Serbia. East Europe,” said Pietro and Darcy nodded her head, knowing the area only vaguely. “What about you? A native to Minnesota?”

“Sort of. I was born here but I haven’t stayed for more than a few months until now. It was just my mom and I for a while when I was growing up, hopping from town to town. Last year, she met this guy and next thing I knew, I was off on a bus to stay with my uncle and she was sending me postcards every couple of months.”

“She left you?” Pietro knew that was a common thing. A lot of the kids at the orphanage were abandoned or ran away from terrible homes. Still, he couldn’t really understand how someone could turn their back on family so easily. Wanda was all he had. They would never abandon the other for something so flimsy as a new lover.

“I’m used to it,” shrugged Darcy, acting as if it wasn’t something that bothered her. From the way she didn’t meet his eyes though, he could tell it kept her up at night. “She’s never left me so long before. But my Uncle Martin and Aunt Lessie are nice. So are my cousins. It’s just…I get so bored here.”

“So does that make me a distraction?” Pietro leaned in, taking a long sip of his chocolate milkshake that was actually quite good. As Darcy thought about the question, she wrinkled her nose and smiled shyly.

“Do you mind?”

“No,” grinned Pietro, enjoying the ever so slight blush on Darcy’s cheeks. He liked being able to make her blush. As she bit her lip and looked at him coyly, Pietro proceeded to tell her about Sokovia. At every detail, her face lit up like a child’s when hearing fairy tales of a far off land.

 

* * *

 

 

The next school day, Pietro had a new accomplice in the mischief he got up to at school. Darcy was quite apt at it. Even better, she knew how to not get caught. Which was something that Pietro still needed to work on, according to Wanda. His sister, who also was fond of Darcy, always watched their pranks with mild amusement. In this happy trio, Pietro decided the rest of his time might not be so bad.

He told himself Darcy was just a much needed distraction. Yet, the more time Pietro spent time with her, the more he couldn’t ignore the way his stomach clenched when she stepped closer to him or how time seemed to stop when she laughed. He hadn’t decided yet what he wanted to do about everything she was making him feel. Having his opinions change about Americans and this terrible place were not things he expected or really wanted.

At the same time, Wanda was still pestering him about the Spring Fling. Somehow, Mrs. Williams had convinced her to go with Colin. Neither one was thrilled about the situation, especially as it made them both dolls for the woman to dress up. As amusing as Pietro found it, he was almost sure Wanda only wanted him there so she’d have someone to complain to.

The dance was becoming more of an issue than he wanted or ever thought it would. There were even a few times Darcy asked if he was thinking about going. Each time, he made his intentions known that it was the last thing on earth he wanted to do. Still, guilt ate at him as Darcy shrugged it off, like she was swallowing something sour in the process. But Pietro tried to ignore it.

That is, until another boy asked Darcy to the dance. Pietro had been standing right next to her when the boy swaggered over and practically commanded Darcy to go to the dance with him. It only took a moment for Darcy to give him an unimpressed no, but it didn’t stop Pietro from seeing red.

Trying to control his anger like the councilor suggested, Pietro breathed slowly through his nose and counted backwards from ten. As the boy walked away with his tail between his legs, the muscle in Pietro’s jaw twitched and his hands tightened into fists, anger bubbling up then back down again. The sharp shut of Darcy’s locker brought him out of his haze.

“So what are you gonna do if you aren’t going to the Fling?” Darcy asked casually. Looking away, she brushed back a strand of hair behind her ear but watched him from the corner of her eye. Shrugging, Pietro turned away.

“I do not know. Sleep? Maybe finish that mountain of homework that keeps sending me to detention. What about you? Eating popcorn, watching girlie movies and having pillow fights?” asked Pietro, a smirk on his lips when he turned back to her. Rolling her eyes and snorting, Darcy lightly hit him on the shoulder.

“Have you been getting your information about American girls from Colin again? You know, one of his friends has a brother that sneaks them dirty movies,” Darcy scrunched her face in disgust.

“I know, I have seen most of them and have learned a lot.”

“ _Gross_ ,” gagged Darcy, swatting Pietro with her notebooks. Easily, he avoided the attack, twirling around her and grabbing her waist from behind.

“I can show you what I have learned if you want,” Pietro suggested in Darcy’s ear, enjoying the way her body stiffened and leaned into him right before she elbowed him in the side. Instead of loosening his grip, he lifted and spun her in the air. An excited squeal escaped her lips. For a moment, Pietro buried his face in her neck and inhaled the citrus perfume she wore. It was a gift from her mother. The very perfume she wore when she first met Darcy’s father and supposedly beguiled him. Darcy only wore a tiny bit at a time but when he was close enough, he could smell the musky undertones of incense and vanilla that reminded him of his family visiting synagogue when he was little. 

“Darcy, Pietro! PDA! You know the rules!” yelled Miss West from down the hall, poking her head out of a classroom. With an aggravated sigh, Pietro set Darcy back down and they both rolled their eyes. Where were all these teachers whenever the other kids gave him or Wanda a hard time? The simmering anger began again but Darcy halted it with a laugh and soft bump of her shoulder.

“Whatever, I have to get to class. Maybe you should think about actually going to one sometime.”

“And ruin my record?” winked Pietro, moving in to stand closer. They were a hair’s breath away, bodies not touching quite yet. Before he could stop himself, Pietro pushed back her hair. A shiver ran down his spine as his fingers brushed her ear and his hand lingered on her neck. Darcy inhaled softly and deeply at the touch. Whatever smart comment he had left to add disappeared from his mind. They stood still, staring at each other, dumbfounded.

“My cousin’s on the committee. I kind of have to go to the dance,” Darcy whispered.

“Oh.”

She looked up at him, patiently waiting for any answer or reaction from him. All he could do was look down into her eyes and listen to the drumming of his heart in his ears. Just as he began to lean in for a kiss, the shrill sound of the school bell rang out. Jumping back, Pietro tried to take a calming breath and process the sudden feeling of having a bucket of ice cold water poured over him. The contact between them was broken and so was the moment. With a final wave and unsure smile, Darcy bid farewell. He watched her leave again when all he wanted to do was run back and pull her into a kiss.

“ _So are you going to ask her_?” Wanda asked, suddenly appearing next to him. Pietro stepped back in surprise, frowning at the way she kept sneaking up on him. His sister laughed and it almost sounded like a cackle.

“ _What would I do at some stupid school party_?”

“ _Dance_ ,” Wanda stated obviously. When Pietro glared at her, she continued in a softer, more persuasive tone. “ _Spend some time with a girl you like. Save me from my misery. Make new friends. Also, I hear some students sneak off to the dark hallways and make out_.”

“ _Now_ that _I can get behind_ ,” winked Pietro, ruffling Wanda’s hair much to her dismay. He started to make his way to the bathroom where he would hide out until the period was well underway and he could sneak out behind the school undetected. From the way Wanda was following him, he had a feeling she was planning on doing the exact same thing.

 

* * *

 

With just a day away from the Spring Fling, Pietro finally plucked up the courage to ask Darcy to go with him. As much as he shat on America and the other students, he was actually a little bit excited about the dance. Not that he would admit that to anyone, not even Wanda- though she seemed to already know. If anything, he’d get to spend time with Darcy. Maybe finally kiss her. The urge had been plaguing him since their encounter by the lockers. In his dreams, he heard her laugh but no matter how fast he ran could never quite reach her. When he woke, he was sweaty and pent up. He’d had enough of this tiptoeing. He was ready to finally reach her.   

Right before the last period of the day, Pietro saw Darcy standing in front of her locker, laughing with her older cousin. The loud chatter of the changing of periods rushed past him but it grew silent the closer he got to Darcy. Blood rushed in his ears and his throat tightened. Only a few steps away, he was planning on clearing his throat when something else got her attention. Looking past her cousin, she focused on a skinny but well attired boy that Pietro never remembered seeing before. Sounds of the world whooshed back.

“Hey Lewis, still need a date?”

“I guess,” Darcy shrugged her shoulders and sighed.

“Now you don’t!” grinned the boy and Pietro almost laughed at his audacity until Darcy answered with fondness in her voice.

“ _Fine_. I’m wearing blue.”

“Let’s talk deets,” winked the boy, turning around and holding his arm out. As Darcy looped her arm into his and walked off, Pietro felt his chest tighten until his heart raced then almost stopped. Sharp pangs clenched his body. His eyes began to itch and anger burst through. He didn’t even stop to think about counting or breathing, just let the feeling well up and overtake him.

As always, Wanda was at his side. Her eyes were sorrowful but also confused. She wanted to talk it out, to find the solution or reasoning. Except this time, he didn’t want to. Instead, he ran in the opposite direction. Behind him, he knew Wanda was trying to follow. A quick burst of energy bolted him through the hall and out of her grasp. He didn’t apologize as he bumped and tripped those in his way. He didn’t stop. Not when needles shot through his legs or even when he began to wheeze.

He hated this country. He hated this school. He hated these people. He hated it all.

 


	2. Kiss That Grrrl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to all who commented and gave kudos! 
> 
> Turns out there's gonna be a third chapter! As I couldn't condense everything I wanted into the second one without it being uber long.

Although Darcy was dressed to kill at a very exclusive party held by Tony Stark, she was still hiding behind a potted plant. From her carefully chosen vantage point she had a view of the New York City skyline, Steve Rogers trying to dissuade a very pretty redhead, Sam Wilson snickering over her refusal to take a hint and a group of models laughing at Pietro Maximoff’s very likely snarky comments. It was the latter that explained why Darcy was hiding.

It was stupid really. She hadn’t seen him in almost eight years. The likelihood of him even remembering her was slim at best. They knew each other for two months in high school until Pietro got expelled for getting into too many fights (though a lot of them were with Noah and his jackass friends so Darcy couldn’t blame him for that). They became good friends the first month and she was starting to get the feeling he was going to ask her out until he decided she wasn’t really worth his time. 

It broke her heart. She cried when he stopped acknowledging her existence; even called her mom, which was a disaster in itself. The sage words from that conversation: men are idiots who can’t tell their heads from their asses if there isn’t a woman to show them. Not really the thing you want to hear when you’re heartbroken and fifteen without the better Taylor Swift hits for solace. 

Eventually, Aunt Lessie sat her down and told her no man was worth crying over. And if he actually _was_ worth crying over, it meant you could work it out because he was probably worth marrying. Darcy took that to heart and hadn’t cried for a man since.

Logic aside, a silly little part of Darcy still rationalized her tears in some romantic notion. In a boring little town, Pietro had been the first worthwhile thing to happen to her. He was the only boy _worth_ crying over. Hell, Darcy got interested in international politics because of him. It was kind of the reason she became a political science major. Meeting him opened her eyes to a world beyond America she didn’t never cared about before. So maybe in a way, he was worth crying over a little. After a while, she got over it of course. Moved on and met many different men ( _men_ not boys). At least, she thought she had. Until she actually saw him at this stupid party and decided to take refuge within the foliage.

Going in, she knew he was going to be here. It was an Avengers party (although Tony wasn’t technically an Avenger anymore, he still liked to throw parties and the Avengers liked to keep tabs on him) and Pietro was the newest addition. Darcy thought it would be fun to see him and completely blow his mind with how much more amazing time made her. So, she bought a red dress that hugged her all the right ways and let the girls peek through just enough to keep it classy, put on the right balance of makeup to frame her features and took out her contacts. Obviously, she wasted her money and effort.

Though from the sounds of it, Tony had taken her lengthy email detailing what music he should include on tonight’s playlist to heart and forwarded it to the DJ. 

Small victories?

“Martini with four olives, right?” Jane finally appeared and handed Darcy her drink. Darcy had sent the drink text request about ten minutes ago. Terrible service on Jane’s part. Before Darcy could confirm or complain, Pietro lapped around the models, switching up their accessories much to their delight. Darcy scowled at the injustice of the world. Her mouth tasted bitter. “Why are you hiding? Did you spill dip on yourself again? I told you, stop trying to wipe it up with another chip.”

“This party’s too classy for dip,” sighed Darcy though she was not at all ashamed of her clever methods of never letting salsa go to waste. Eventually, Jane followed her gaze.

“That’s the new guy right? Why don’t you talk to him instead of stalking him like he’s a gazelle?”

“Because he doesn’t care about me.”

“How do you know that? You don’t even know him. Besides, I bet you’re a thousand times more interesting than those women,” Jane insisted and Darcy smiled slightly at the vote of confidence. Although the two of them bickered a lot, they had each other’s backs. Still, Darcy wasn’t going to mention that she was pretty sure a couple of the models were big philanthropist and one of them worked with the UN to help refugees. At least, she thought she recognized their faces from various articles and posters. When the possible UN hottie giggled coyly at Pietro’s joke, he smiled warmly at her. Leaning in, he twirled a blonde lock around his finger before setting it behind her ear. Nausea clenched Darcy’s stomach, punctuated by a sharp pain in her chest.  

“I do know him. I went to high school with him. Briefly,” Darcy said tightly.

“You went to school in Europe? When?” Jane quirked her head like a confused border collie.

“No. He and his sister were exchange students when I was staying with my uncle and aunt. We started hanging out. Then he decided that I wasn’t worth his time. Whatever. I’m over it,” Darcy insisted, only breaking when she saw Jane’s unconvinced stare. “Well…guess I wasn’t. Ugh, you’d think the silver hair would look trashy but it just makes him hotter. I want to rub my face on his face. Time has been good to him. _So_ unfair.”

“Time’s been good to you too,” said a new voice next to them, startling Darcy and Jane enough that they spilled their drinks. They turned to find Wanda Maximoff in a simple but elegant black and red dress.

“Thanks,” Darcy smiled awkwardly, uncomfortable at being caught. “You’re lookin’ good too. I like the reformed Goth 90’s chic style you got going on. Very Siouxsie meets Courtney Love.”

At the comment, Jane stiffened but Wanda grinned, eyes sparkling with laughter. In the middle of asking what was shaking, Darcy was engulfed in a warm hug. At the same time, Darcy heard Pietro’s group of women laughing. She’d begun to recognize their particular cadence. Risking a glance over, she saw him with a smug grin and wondered if he was always such a huge shit-eating snark or if that was something that only appeared when there were pretty ladies around. Either way, it was doing terrible things to her panties.

“He’s been cooped up inside a room too long but maybe he is enjoying the new attention a little too much,” Wanda explained, pulling away. Guilt twisted Darcy’s gut. She heard about Ultron turning him into Swiss cheese. Clearance for action only came a week ago. Anger quickly replaced her guilt. Maybe he deserved this but fifteen year old Darcy would never forget. She was amazeballs then and she is amazeballs now, even if he didn’t think an American girl was worth the time.

Obviously, he thought American women were worth the time now. In a boost of self-righteous confidence, she stepped away from the plant. Two could play that game, even if one of the two didn’t know there was a game afoot. Besides, Darcy’s boobs didn’t really start growing until after he left so that gave her the upper hand.

“You should remind him. How amazing you are, that is,” Wanda stated, making Darcy wonder if she had accidentally said her thoughts aloud. Just as she started to dissect the twinkle in Wanda’s eyes, another joined their merry little antisocial pity party. 

“Ladies! Why have you ensconced yourself so far from the festivities?” Thor’s voice boomed above the chatter and music. From the way he gestured, Darcy and Jane could tell he’d been generous with the mead. Following closely behind was Vision, another one of the new Avengers. Eyes began to turn their way as Thor continued to speak as if he was addressing a royal assembly. “Vision, you must meet Darcy Lewis, companion and colleague to Jane.”

“Colleague is a strong word,” Darcy argued but Thor waved it off.

“Nonsense! You are just as important to her work as Erik!”

“You did get us that awesome flight and hotel deal last month,” Jane pointed out. Darcy rolled her eyes but appreciated the effort nonetheless. It _was_ a pretty sweet deal.  

At the declaration, more party-goers turned their way with interest. One of them being Pietro. Doing her best, Darcy tried to keep her eyes on Vision as they shook hands but she couldn’t help look over his shoulder. A number of emotions flashed across Pietro’s face. First was realization then shock, sadness and eventually annoyance. Through it all, he was able to keep a sultry air. Darcy’s stomach somersaulted. Great. Even after eight years, her existence stilled pissed him off and he still made her knees knock together. 

Taking a large gulp of her drink, Darcy let Thor pull them towards the center of the fun. It just so happened to be Pietro’s group, which was the exact opposite of what she wanted. Luckily, it was also close to Sam and Steve. Thor watched Darcy with confused amusement as she squeezed past ‘fun central’ towards the the awkward threesome. Deciding to do her good deed for the day, she popped in between Sam and Steve and looped an arm through each of theirs. At her appearance, Steve relaxed, leaning into her and silently begging for help. Sam just grinned.

“The plant get boring? Too into cricket?” Sam asked and Darcy rolled her eyes at the running joke. When they first met, she complained to him about her long distance relationship with Ian and how all he seemed to be interested in talking about was his cricket team. After her break up and a couple of Avenger parties, she and Sam eventually became each other’s wingman. As he so fondly like to put it, she was his sister from another mister.

“If you must know, I was gathering important intel,” Darcy said haughtily. Hunching over, she tried to sip her martini that was on the arm linked with Steve. Without skipping a beat, Steve plucked the glass out of her hand and held it to her face so she could take a dainty sip. Some spilled on her chin and she glared at Steve. Holding his eye contact, she wiped the dribble on his sleeve.

“Okay, that is officially the weirdest thing I’ve seen this week,” chuckled Sam.

“People these days, no sense of manners,” Steve sniffed to Darcy and she nodded in agreement. In the resulting silence, attention settled back to the redhead, who was now smokin’ in looks and in ire.

“Hey,” Darcy said smoothly. The redhead raised an unimpressed eyebrow.

“Who are you?” she asked, glaring at the familiar way Steve treated Darcy. Darcy tightened her grip around his arm, enjoying the way hellfire seemed to be bursting through the redhead’s eyes. 

“Darcy Lewis. I’m Steve’s girl.”

“Really?” laughed the redhead. It was cruel and ugly. “You never said you had a girlfriend.”

“That’s because she’s also my girlfriend. We’re both her boyfriends,” added Sam and this time, the redhead looked between the three in confusion over what game they were trying to pull. Darcy tried her best to keep a straight face.

“Yeah. One man is not enough for her,” finished Steve, laying his cheek atop Darcy’s head. The redhead was about to reply when someone behind them caught her eye and she left without another word. All fine and dandy for Darcy because frankly, the woman grated on her nerves. “Thanks Darcy. I thought she’d never leave. Also a little too touchy.”

“No problemo Star-Spangled Man,” smiled Darcy. “I’m a better cockblocker than wingman, I guess.”

“We all have our strengths. Not all of us can be true wingmen,” Sam said sagely and Darcy elbowed him. Out of curiosity, she looked back to see where the redhead had run off to and saw her heading straight towards Tony, who was fashionably late to his own party. Countdown to when Pepper popped that misguided bubble began now. Laughing to herself, Darcy let her eyes wander until she had the misfortune of catching sight of Pietro. Now oblivious to the conversation happening around him, he kept his gaze steady on her. When their eyes met, he glanced between Sam and Steve. Deciding that Darcy really didn’t want to know what he thought about this, she turned away, shrugging her back in an attempt to rid the itch of his eyes. When that didn’t work, she grabbed her martini from Steve and drank what was left.

“You should pace yourself,” warned Steve. “Wouldn’t want you to be yowling along to _Dirty Dancing_ again in my apartment.”

“That was once and Sam was doing it too,” Darcy gasped at the mention of the only time she and Sam double teamed to get Steve some action. They failed. Spectacularly. Although she wasn’t entirely sure, she had an inkling that Steve slipped them some of Thor’s mead. 

“I thought we agreed to never speak of that night,” Sam hissed, looking around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. Unfortunately, that was exactly what Thor was doing.

“Do you speak of your passionate renditions of Midgard’s beloved dancers? I was quite moved at the video the Captain showed me,” Thor smirked. "Our Falcon makes an excellent Baby."

“That is low Steve. See if I ever help you get rid of harpies again” Darcy pouted, not happy about the potential blackmail material against her that she was previously unaware of. Seriously, she hadn’t realized Steve had it all on video. Hopefully it was a nice angle of her. After picking up her toothpick of olives, she handed the empty glass to Steve. “I think you owe me a drink. Then I will maybe consider forgiving you a little.”

“That’s a bowl of olives with some gin sprinkled on it, right?” Steve asked and Darcy gave him a dirty look. He replied with a ‘gee golly gosh’ smile. Who would have thought Captain America was a little shit?

“Just tell Nat to make something special for me. If I’m gonna get drunk, might as well do it with class.”

With a mock salute, Steve set off on his mission. That left Sam and Darcy  hooked arm in arm with Thor, who was apparently super jazzed about introducing Darcy to everyone tonight.

“Darcy, have you met Pietro? And his new companion, Mia, is it?” Thor asked, gesturing for Darcy to turn around where Pietro, Jane, Wanda, Vision and the blonde of the Quicksilver posse stood. She didn't move until Sam forced her. Thor continued in pride. “Darcy has bested me in battle.”

“I see you still enjoy beating up men twice your size,” Pietro said drolly. His accent sent tingles down her spine that settled below and she tightened the grip on Sam’s arm as her breath hitched. Knowing his affect on her, Pietro grinned.  

“Old habits die hard,” Darcy said in what she hoped was a wry manner that not at all conveyed what she actually felt- the overwhelming urge to rip Pietro’s clothes off _and_ knee him in the gut. Their gaze didn’t break. From the furrow of his brow, she had a feeling he understood her inclinations. Her stomach fluttered. 

“You guys know each other?” asked Sam, eyes shifting between the two and taking in the blossoming tension. Some of the smiles throughout the group were dimming. 

“They went to school together,” Jane blurted, burrowing into Thor’s side.

“You _have_ been to America. Silly boy,” Mia giggled, stroking a hand down Pietro’s arm. Darcy dug her nails into her palm. Even with the distraction, Pietro’s gaze didn’t shift.

“We were exchange students,” Wanda explained. There was now a drink in her hand and she sipped at it to cover the smirk she was sporting as she surveyed the action.

“I hardly remember it,” shrugged Pietro, finally breaking his stare to smile at Mia. He hung a loose arm around her shoulder and Mia reached up to tangle her fingers in his. Darcy rolled her eyes, refusing to give into her desires and stick out her tongue. Instead, she dug her nails deeper into her palm. Either unaware of the tension or just wanting to ignore it, Thor cleared his throat.

“Then we shall drink to reunions!” he cheered. Everyone with a drink raised their glasses. Darcy miserably nibbled on her last olive. Letting her thoughts wander, she looked at Pietro from the corner of her eye. He had a few days worth of dark stubble. Although the silver only was on the top of his head, she couldn’t help but wonder if it was something that would continue to spread. Was it going to affect his eyebrows? Would he have silver pubes? Did he already?

Wanda choked on her drink, letting out a strangled laugh in between coughs. Both Vision and Pietro reached out to her. Pietro was first, so he rubbed and patted her back while Vision rubbed her arm. Both eyed each other, one with more suspicion than the other but no overt conflict resulted.  

“Sorry,” muttered Wanda. “This drink…it was stronger than I thought.”

“Weren’t you shooting back that Sokovian moonshine the other day?” asserted Sam, not believing for one second that her drink was the cause of her outburst. Although her eyes were innocent, snicker began to gently shake Wanda’s shoulders. She shrugged and refused to acknowledge Sam’s comment any further but she did give Darcy an amused side-eyed glance.

Silence settled. Eventually, Mia asked about Jane’s latest project. As Jane babbled about wormholes, Darcy watched Wanda and Pietro’s engage in a silent conversation. Their faces were animated even without words. Nudging Wanda’s shoulder, Pietro looked at her expectantly but only got a half shrug. When he continued to insist, she offered him a mischievous glance. Suddenly, realization dawned on him and he chuckled to himself. Darcy thought she was being rather subtle in her staring, so when Pietro turned to her, her breath stopped. Smugly, he winked at Darcy and offered a ‘wouldn’t you like to know’ grin.

Humiliation washed over Darcy. Her face heated and she knew she was blushing from her ears to her chest. In the ‘he’s fast and she’s weird’ conversation explaining their powers, it wasn’t really stated that Wanda could read thoughts. But apparently she could. God, what else did she find in Darcy’s mind and what else did Pietro now know? At that thought, Wanda smiled reassuringly at Darcy but the flush wasn’t leaving anytime soon. Watching this whole interaction, Sam leaned in and turned his head so that it was facing away from the twins.

“What’s wrong? Something happen between you two?” he asked, voice laced with concern. Although Darcy appreciated his worry, she didn’t know if she wanted to talk about it just yet. At that moment though, Steve reappeared with her drink.

"Oh thank God," sighed Darcy. It earned her a look from Sam reassuring her the conversation wasn't over. Damn his mother hen tendencies. 

“Natasha dubbed it The Jaded Widow. Seeing what she put in it, I’m not entirely sure I should give it to you,” Steve said dubiously, pulling the drink out of Darcy’s grasp when she reached for it. The drink itself was a muggy yellow, garnished cheerfully with a curl of lemon peel and sprig of mint in a tall glass. 

"How bad can it be?" asked Darcy, finally getting a hold of the drink and taking a small sip. It tasted of sweet licorice with a fresh aftertaste. Smiling, she hummed. Thank God for Natasha and her amazing drinks. Ignoring the worried looks from Steve and the smoldering stare from Pietro, Darcy took a long sip. 

 

* * *

 

 

It didn’t take long for Darcy to finish the The Jaded Widow. Soon, the world was pleasantly abuzz and the party much better; which was pretty good for a girl who was hiding behind shrubbery about half an hour ago. Darcy was laughing at one of Jane's wormhole puns when Sam dragged her away. The past ten minutes had been filled with Mia trying to get Pietro’s attention as he stared at Darcy ignoring him. It was awkward to say the least, making Darcy both confused and horny. Mostly horny. And a little giggly. Sam and Darcy stood next to the infamous  potted plant. Perhaps she should name it since she was spending so much freaking time next to it. Daryl was a good option. She liked Daryl. 

“So. What’s the deal?” Sam asked bluntly. 

“Deal? What deal? Why does there have to be a deal? There's no deal,” dismissed Darcy, looking at her hand in annoyance over the fact Sam wouldn’t let Natasha make any more Jaded Widows. Clearly unimpressed at her denial, Sam crossed his arms. His eyebrows were disappointed. Darcy groaned. “Ugh _fine_. We were friends for like a month. Then he decided he didn’t like me any more. Ancient history. I don’t even know why you ask.” 

“Are you sure? Because the two of you look like you’re either gonna murder each other or hole up in a bedroom for a week. Mostly the latter.” 

“I kind of wanna do both. That’s bad isn’t it? Ugh, I want to bite his chest and just...lick him,” Darcy admitted dreamily. When she spared Pietro a glance and saw him flirting with Mia again, vomit threatened to spew. Maybe she _shouldn’t_ have any more drinks. Her defenses were slipping. 

“I think he wants to do the same,” Sam chuckled, smiling at Darcy fondly. 

“Lies! He wants to do all those things with hootchie mama over there. Do you think his pubes are gonna turn silver?” 

“Not lies,” assured Sam, counting off the rest of Darcy’s accusations. “Maybe he wants to dirty things with Mia but he’s a young buck who’s been forced to rest for too long, so don’t take too much offence. Also, I’m willing to bet twenty for that last one.”

“You’re not allowed to say young buck again. It’s insulting to Bambi’s father. And I think if we’re wondering, by now Tony’s already got a pool started.” 

“What did Natasha slip you?” muttered Sam, shaking his head before continuing. “C’mon, I’m sure whatever high school drama happened was just teenage angst and miscommunication. You’re adults now. So handle it like an adult and go kiss him on the mouth.” 

“God, I want to but he doesn’t! I was dropping big hints about the Spring Fling to him and I thought he was gonna ask me ‘cause I was getting hella vibes but he never did. Then he started acting like I didn’t exist! I cried over him. _Cried_. I cried because I’m a fucking idiot. But he never cared about me. He can’t tell his ass from his head!” ranted Darcy. Her breath caught in her throat and tears threatened to spill. Sam pulled her into a hug. 

“Hey lil' sis,” cooed Sam, using his special occasions nickname for Darcy. It brought a smile to her face even if she didn’t really feel like one. She buried her face in his chest, enjoying the warmth and safety he was always able to offer. After a few moments, she felt him tense. “I have an idea.” 

“What?” Darcy looked up at him, only to notice the gleam in his eye. The last time he had that gleam, they decided to try and hook up Steve. “No. Now is not the time for wingmanning. ‘Have You Met Darcy?’ isn’t gonna work. He’s already met me and didn’t like what was to offer. And this time I want to be Baby.” 

“Hey, no one puts Baby in the corner. Not even herself. Besides, it is always the time for wingmanning but this is gonna take a little more finesse than a round of ‘Have You Met’. Believe me, you’re gonna thank me. I like food gift baskets. Preferably with cheese,” stated Sam, kissing Darcy on the cheek before skipping through the crowds. He headed over to the bar where Natasha stood and they began to conspire. Darcy did not like the looks of it. Especially when they fist bumped. Highly suspect in her opinion. It was probably in her best interest to not accept any drinks made by Natasha for the rest of the night. Mia’s giggle echoed through the room, cleaving Darcy’s thoughts. Tears threatened again but she was able to hold them back with a few deep, calming breaths. And ironic death scenarios for Mia.

Then again, why not live a little? What was the point of having access to top shelf liquors if she couldn’t get shitfaced with them when her high school crush was mingling and still obnoxiously oblivious? Vomiting in front of him probably would not help her with superior victory though. Sighing, Darcy caressed the plant.

“Well Daryl, looks like it’s just you and me.”

 

* * *

 

 

Half an hour later, Darcy found herself dancing atop the bar with Sam Wilson. There was a lot more hip bumping than booty grinding going on, which suited Darcy just fine. She had taken off her heels and set them at the edge of the bar when she tipped one too many times. Next to them was her small matching purse that Natasha promised to protect. The dancing duo also threw in the occasional disco dance move, which was highly encouraged by the crowd. Although The Jaded Widow made the world blur at the edges, Darcy was quickly working off the booze and alcohol was no longer the reason behind the fun. The night finally seemed to be looking up. She only occasionally looked at Pietro from the corner of her eye and his night was currently taking a turn for the worse- if his sour expression and growing lack of ladies was any indication. Mia stayed dutifully on his arm but Darcy was doing her best to ignore that. 

As a change of pace, the music slowed when the DJ decided to play Ellie Goulding’s cover of “ _Take Me To Church_ ”. It was one of Darcy’s favorites and from the surprise on Sam’s face once he realized what was playing, it was his first time hearing it. Once the beat started, his head started to bop along and he grinned.

“Awesome cover, right?” Darcy said, looking around them and noticing quite a few others were singing or mouthing along to the song. As great as the original was, this had a more sultry feel.

“Get ready, I’m about to get really Seal on you,” warned Sam, beginning to undulate and move his hips. He loudly sang along in a soulful voice. Even though it was pretty sexy, Darcy couldn’t help but imagine Sam wearing a black suit without a shirt. She broke down into snickers, covering her face with her hands. Sam wrapped his arms around her and she continued to laugh against his chest, swaying along to the music.

Joining in on the chorus, Darcy sang in a softer but not terrible rendition. Enthusiasm was contagious, at least when it was coming from Sam, and she let her body move along sensuously with his. Laughter burst through the room. Looking down at the edge of the bar, they saw where the attention had been pulled.

Not one to be shown up, Tony had wandered closer to them. He stood a few feet away, leaning against the bar next to Darcy’s shoes. In his hand was a lighter waving in the air. Natasha narrowed her eyes at Tony as she made herself a drink. She tried to pull him out of his funk by using the shaker obnoxiously next to his face. It didn’t do much.

Darcy rolled her eyes at the spectacle and turned back to Sam. Her head slipped nicely under his chin. Their undulating had softened into more of a rhythmic box step by this point. More voices joined them and the room erupted into grooving renditions and dances. Some were dancing with partners and others with entire groups of friends. A few people had began taking photos or videos of the show, the consequences of which Darcy was sure she’d deal with in about a week. Sam broke his hold on Darcy, moving away to spin her. She twirled one way and instead of letting her twirl back, Sam pulled her against his chest so they were facing the same direction. His arms wrapped around Darcy. Their box step reverted back to swaying.

The new position allowed Darcy to watch the room a little more subtly.  Despite the thrall that had taken over the room, a few of the party goers weren’t joining. This included Vision, Wanda and Pietro, who were standing in a small clump. Vision simply enjoyed watching one of the many facets of humanity- getting down and dirty to nice jams. Wanda and Pietro shared glances of confusion over the sheer excitement that the song created. Still, Darcy could see a couple of Wanda’s fingers tapping to the beat and a small smile when Pietro looked to Darcy.

Pietro’s jaw was tight at Darcy and Sam’s display, which had gotten more sexual. Arms crossed and shoulders ridged, Pietro’s expression was one of soured anger. He couldn’t seem to stare at Darcy for too long though. Fidgeting, he alternated between glancing at her and pretending to listen to Mia. Sam’s plan became clearer, causing a sliver of guilt to pool in Darcy’s stomach. It annoyed her. She was supposed to be winning. Trying to ignore the sudden conflict between her chest and head, Darcy just sang louder.

By this point, the song was reaching its end. She and Sam broke apart. Getting down on his knees in front of Darcy, Sam held out his arms and sang the final chorus passionately. If Darcy weren’t so consumed with Pietro, maybe she’d be head over heels for Sam Wilson right now. 

The song ended with cheers. “ _Boom Clap_ ” quickly followed. It wasn’t on Darcy’s list but the change of pace was welcomed nonetheless. Closing her eyes, Darcy let her arms reach out and over her head as she began to spin. This turned out to be a mistake because she lost her balance and fell.

Everything moved in slow motion. Sam reached out for her but was too far away to really be able to do much. Staring up at the ceiling, Darcy cursed Tony for not using enough plush carpet because she was most definitely going to crack her skull against the marble. Shutting her eyes, she wished for the pain to be quick. Instead of slamming against the floor, arms wrapped around her and the world resumed its normal speed.

The air flew out of Darcy’s lungs as she looked into Pietro’s eyes. Her arms moved to wrap around his neck. He adjusted his grip on her and in the process, pulled her mouth closer to his. A few people around them were cheering him on for the good save but they were only faintly heard. Longing and concern shone in Pietro’s eyes. Darcy wondered if it was mirrored in hers. As Pietro licked his lips, one of Darcy’s hands crept up the back of his neck so her fingers could feel the ends of his hair. The touch reminded Pietro of the situation and his brow furrowed. Setting Darcy down on the ground, Pietro muttered a foreign curse before zipping out of the room.

Anger hit Darcy like a downpour. Deciding she had to have it out with him now, she followed. Although she was a snail compared to his pace, she went the direction of the exit. When she reached the empty hallway leading to the elevators, she looked around but didn’t see him.

“All right Pietro, you better come out now because I have a few bones to pick with you,” she called out. Movement at the far corner caught her eye and she saw Pietro stepping out. His arms were crossed and his eyebrow was quirked in an unimpressed manner. Continuing her route, she walked right up to him but was met halfway when he decided she was taking too long. “You are an asshole.”

“ _I_ am the asshole?” he laughed but it only fueled Darcy.

“Yeah. You can’t just toss people away when you’re bored with them.”

“I could say the same thing to you.”

“Really? I wasn’t the one who suddenly decided that the stupid American girl was too boring and not worth talking to. Then you’re flirting with all the women in there? What makes them better than me? Wait, don’t answer that,” Darcy huffed, feeling tears prickle her eyes. She sniffled in frustration, trying to daintily wipe away the tears before they could fall. That last thing she needed were mascara tears and itchy eyes, which probably would have been another reason for Pietro to stay far away from her.

“I realized I was only a silly distraction for you. That is why I stopped talking to you. I do not like being used,” spat Pietro. Anger framed his body, which was now towering over her. He’d gotten a lot taller since they last saw each other. And more muscular. Up close, she saw the chiseled body underneath his black shirt that was nearing a size too small. Suddenly woozy, Darcy tried to ignore his aftershave as it surrounded her. It was musky and spicy, mixing with a familiar smell she hadn’t remembered since she kicked Noah Peterson in the balls. A shock of longing ran through her and she grit her teeth, trying to fight it as her breath hitched.

“And I wasn’t one to you?” Darcy pointed out, turning away from him. If she didn’t move, she was afraid she’d just reach out and run her hands down his body. When she spared a glance at him, his eyes softened but he also held a triumphant smirk. She didn’t know what she wanted more- to kiss it or slap it off his face. The smirk melted away the longer he stared at her, leaving him looking lost. Darcy frowned.

Shaking his head, Pietro tried to pull himself out of whatever memory he’d been trapped in. Super speed kicked in and his head blurred. Darcy’s eyes widened and so did Pietro’s once he slowed back to normal speed. Annoyance settled back into his muscles though there was a very light shade of pink in his cheeks.

“What if you were?” mumbled Pietro, taking a few steps away from her. Each was careful, precise and slow. Sticking his hands into his pockets, he pulled his shoulders up to his ears and avoided her eyes. It made him look more like the teenager that she remembered. The one that used cockiness to hide all his hurt and who he really was. That was what she did herself. She thought she was figuring it out all those years ago; figuring him out too but maybe she wasn’t even close.

Pietro continued to take slow and steady steps away from her. He was trying to run away from her. It was his talent then and now it was his superpower. “It doesn’t matter anymore. You dated that boy and I went back to Sokovia. History. End of story.”

“What boy?” asked Darcy, wringing her hands in hopes it would ease the twist in her gut.

At her confusion, he stopped and rocked on his heels. He still avoided her gaze and tried to sound nonchalant. “You know, that fancy one. The one you went to the dance with,” Pietro gestured vaguely then scratched his nose, looking at a spot in the ceiling that was fascinating all of a sudden.

“You mean the Spring Fling? Liam Holt?” Darcy asked and Pietro shrugged his shoulders. She took a moment to really take in his uncertain stance. Why would he be jealous of Liam Holt? Unless…

Suddenly, everything made sense. All this angst and teenage heartbreak was over a stupid misunderstanding. It was horrible. If they’d actually talked to each other, things could have been so different. Then again, it was also kind of hilarious so Darcy began to laugh. Small snickers at first but they quickly morphed into a belly laugh. Heaving for air, she had to hold onto the wall to steady herself. 

“You were _jealous_ of Liam Holt? That’s what this is all about?” Once Darcy was able to compose herself enough to stand up and look at him, she noticed he’d moved closer. Although he was angry she was laughing so openly at him, uncertainty kept him slouching.

“Yes, I was,” grumbled Pietro. Taking a breath, he straightened his shoulders then continued with a half-hearted sneer. “Was he worth it?”

With renewed confidence, Darcy sauntered over to him. Her confidence threw him off and Pietro allowed himself to be backed up against the wall.

“You know, you really are an idiot,” Darcy said, taking her time with each word. When Pietro opened his mouth on the defensive, she cut him off, poking him in the chest. “No, you are. The only reason I went to the Spring Fling with Liam was because the guy I _wanted_ to ask me never did.”

As she grew ever closer to him, his breathing deepened and his shit-eating smirk was nowhere to be found. Darcy continued letting righteousness fill each vein and punctuation.

“And to think I cried over you. Ugh, you proved my mom right,” huffed Darcy, wrinkling her nose. Although Pietro could probably tell his head from his ass, he couldn’t figure out what was right in front of his face. “I’d never hear the end of it if she knew.”

Confusion began to melt away from Pietro’s features, leaving him peeved. Instead of poking his chest, Darcy moved to smack the spot lightly with the back of her hand. Pietro caught it. A shiver ran down her spine and she thought the same happened to him but couldn’t be sure. Shock briefly registered in his eyes but he soon buried it and clenched his jaw.

“Why am I an idiot?” he whispered, breath mingling with Darcy’s. He inhaled sharply when Darcy took her time. Darcy stared straight into his eyes and licked her lips. Pietro swallowed. With a mischievous smile, Darcy leaned in just a little bit more and whispered in his ear.

“Because Liam Holt is super gay.”

Pietro dropped her hand. His brow furrowed as he tried to process the information.

“You mean, he found out he was gay after dating you?” Pietro forced a scoff, trying to balance the uncertainty now creeping in.

“I mean, he knew he was gay and was afraid of coming out to his parents. So I agreed to be his occasional beard when I couldn’t get dates.”

Stepping back, Darcy watched in satisfaction as Pietro’s eyes widened with shock. Then his brain exploded. He blinked rapidly, slowly trying to process what she said. His mouth dropped open. A short strangled sound came out but he unable to shape it into words. Raking a hand through his hair, his body deflated him and he looked at Darcy in shame. The kicked puppy look took away from her victory.

“And if I had asked you, you would have gone with me instead?” asked Pietro, falling back onto the wall, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“Yep.”

“I _am_ an idiot,” breathed Pietro. Both his hands rubbed at his face rapidly. Not quite super speed but faster than most.

“I know, right?” Darcy shrugged. Pietro looked back up at her and continued lightly with a shrug.

“So are you…dating the Falcon now?”

“Are you dating that blonde now?” shot Darcy, unable to keep the bitterness from her voice. A small, genuine smile twisted Pietro’s lips. Slowly, his eyes took in Darcy’s features. He gently brushed a curl behind her ear. The soft touch made her heart beat faster. 

“History. End of story, ” he assured her softly.

“Like we’re supposed to be?”

“No, we are just beginning,” promised Pietro. He leaned in close, nose brushing the top of her ear. “I only liked her because she uses your perfume. You wear it better.”

And in that moment, Darcy felt her panties melt away. A soft, dreamy sigh left her lips and the tiniest smirk twitched Pietro’s. Euphoria rushed through her body and she desperately tried to find balance when the world tilted. Butterflies danced in her stomach. Her heart beat in her ears. 

“My mother always said men can’t resist Shalimar,” Darcy said, feeling the words bubble up and knowing there was no way to stop them. “My luck in boyfriends may have tested that. I’ve never had one loose their mind around me which is what my mom said my dad practically did. Though mom likes to exaggerate.”

The words died in her throat when Pietro grabbed her hips, pulling her flush against his body. The air left her lungs. Senses went into overload at the contact. Darcy’s dress felt heavy and cumbersome, an annoying barrier between her and Pietro’s heat. Trailing her hands up his sides and chest like spiders, she smiled when a shiver ran down his spine.

It didn’t surprise her when he finally leaned down for a gentle kiss. Nor did it surprise her when the kiss grew demanding. Their tongues slid together in between moans and sharp inhalations of breath. Darcy was lightheaded. One moment, Darcy leaned into Pietro and the next, her back was pinned against the wall. A little twinge of pain settled in her shoulder blades. She grunted a displeased, shocked protest and Pietro pulled away, looking startled. Not even a second ago, he’d been the one trapped. 

“Sorry,” he mumbled, not entirely sure what just happened. Both hands reached for Darcy’s face. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” assured Darcy. The pain was already gone. Pietro relaxed and leaned back in, this time moving in for Darcy’s neck. He nibbled at her ear before placing light kisses down her neck and back up to find her mouth again. One of his hands reached down to grip her ass. As Darcy hooked a leg over his hip, the room spun and she was tossed up against another section of the wall, a few feet from where they just stood. Darcy stilled, trying to let the dizziness settle. It felt like being on a malfunctioning tilt-a-whirl. When everything settled, she saw the horror gripping Pietro. His face was pale but a small blush blossomed on his cheeks.

“Not having performance issues, are you?” Darcy asked, cutting off his apology. Obviously, he hadn’t had this much trouble keeping his powers in check for a long while. He narrowed his eyes but they fluttered closed when she scratched his head lightly and nibbled at his scruff. A low hum rumbled from his throat but Pietro forced himself away from the distraction to fix Darcy with a mildly annoyed frown.

“I _was_ going to go easy on you,” he insisted, moving his body down a little so his hands could run up the back of Darcy’s knees and up her thighs, bringing up her skirt with the motion. The touch was a ghost. Goosebumps freckled her skin, begging for more contact. His gaze stayed steady and intense. Darcy breathed in a sharp gasp when he snapped the band of her panties. Without warning, he pulled away. Darcy whimpered at the loss. 

Pietro’s arms settled on either side of Darcy’s head. He shifted his weight, resting on his forearms and elbows, body hovering just above hers. Heat rippled off him and his biceps bulged. Darcy didn’t want to be the one to break so she let the moment stretch on. 

But her body hummed out for his. Nuzzling her face in the crook of his neck, Darcy leaned in so her body melded into his. Pietro moved to embrace her, arms tight and refusing to let go. This felt safe. This felt right. She smiled into his neck. 

They stood holding each other for a long while. Darcy could hear his pulse as it slowed. Pietro inhaled deeply, loosening his hold a fraction. Pulling back, Pietro smiled serenely down on her. Their noses bumped. Darcy’s eyes fluttered shut. Leaning back down, Pietro captured her lips in a sweet, gentle kiss. Moving her arms so they sat on either side of his neck, Darcy deepened the kiss, enjoying the way Pietro groaned. Satisfaction buzzed through Darcy’s body at the sound. Their kissing grew rough, skin searching desperately for more contact but never finding enough. Using his speed, he pulled her up, wrapping her legs around his waist. When Darcy nipped at his shoulder, Pietro spanked her. She tightened the grip of her thighs. 

“I do not tire easily. Think you can keep up?” The threat and promise hung in the air. Heavy breaths punctuated the silence. Eventually, hunger took over and Darcy dove back in. A flutter of frantic hands, arms and even legs, both fast and slow filled the lost calm. A breathy moan fell out of Darcy as Pietro licked a warm line between her breasts. Her legs tightened around him and she could feel the hardening bulge in his pants beginning to rub against her. Pushing his shirt up to his pits, Darcy dragged her nails over his chest and his head tilted back he let out groan. She ran her palms up the red marks and one of his hands moved underneath the back of her panties to squeeze her ass. A scuffle from the direction of the party made them freeze.

“You’re not gonna ruin this,” Natasha hissed. Down the hall, she was trying to drag Tony away.

“We already did,” Tony pointed out, looking triumphant when Natasha realised they were being stared at. She froze, trying to decide what to do. Clutched to Tony’s chest were Darcy’s heels and on his shoulder hung her purse. He continued with an innocent voice. “I was just bringing back her things.”

“Like hell you were,” Pietro said loudly. His body had tensed and his face twisted in annoyance. Although Darcy knew she was moving, she couldn’t feel anything other than a dizzying nausea. When the world stopped moving, she was still pinned against the wall but she now had a heel in each hand and her purse hanging off her wrist. Also, her dress was pulled back down so it covered most of her ass. “We’re a little busy.”

“Yeah well, you might wanna think about taking this to your room unless you want someone to Vine it,” suggested Tony. It made Darcy wonder if he already had.

“He’s kind of right,” Darcy shrugged, watching as Natasha tugged Tony by the ear. “I dread to imagine the tabloids seeing Sam get his Seal on all over me. Don’t want them to think I’m trying to make my rounds to all the Avengers.”

From the blank expression Pietro gave her, it was obvious he only understood every few words but he certainly didn’t like being reminded of Sam’s close proximity to her or even the potential with any other team member. Just as she was going to explain, the dizzying nausea began again but settled when they he was standing in front of the elevator. He adjusted his grip on her in order to press the down button and Darcy settled her face on his shoulder. As they waited for the elevator, he pinched her ass and she squirmed.

“Hey, careful with the goods!”

“Oh, I haven’t even started,” promised Pietro, carrying her into the elevator once the doors dinged open. He punched the button for his floor impatiently until the doors closed, all the while, sucking on Darcy’s neck hard enough to leave a mark. Darcy struggled against it only halfheartedly. Besides, they had a lot of hickeys and months of awkward sexual explorations to make up for. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All songs mentioned belong to all respective artists and labels.  
> Take Me To Church- by Hozier and covered by Ellie Goulding  
> Boom Clam- Charli XCX
> 
> Title of chapter taken from Kate Nash's Kiss That Girrl
> 
> The Jaded Widow- I based this off of The Jaded Lady. It's a cocktail that contains absinthe. While absinthe has never made me hallucinate, it always puts me in a silly and happy mood.


	3. State Of Grace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments and kudos! Hope you enjoy the final and much more mature chapter. Although this story is finished, I'm already planning a sequel which will be a little more rife with angst. 
> 
> All Sokovian in this chapter is actually Serbian. Translations at the bottom of the page. 
> 
> Title from Taylor Swift's song.

 

All the A-list guests (as Tony liked to call the Avengers) were given their own apartments whenever they visited the tower. Pietro was no exception and his room was the current destination. The hall containing some of the Avenger rooms was a blur to Darcy as Pietro sped his way from the elevator to his door. It took a few tries for him to be able to open it. Of course, Darcy was no help. After a lot of fumbling and cursing, Pietro gave up multitasking and set Darcy back on the ground so he could find the key card. This widened the range of options Darcy had to distract him.

As he dug out his wallet, she sat her heels down by the door. Standing behind him, Darcy pushed her hands underneath the front hem of his shirt. His back straightened when she pressed her fingers into his stomach, enjoying the feel of the hard ridges of his abs. Then she turned her hands downwards and slowly pushed her fingers under the band of his pants and briefs. The key card he triumphantly found slipped from his fingers as she rubbed his hipbones.

“If you really want, we can have sex here,” Pietro said. From his amused tone, it didn’t seem he was completely averse to that option. He looked at her over his shoulder and she just smiled cheekily.

“It’s a tempting offer,” Darcy bit her lip and moved her fingers inwards. When he began to groan, she shifted them back. “Then again, I do like beds.”

“Then stop distracting me,” admonished Pietro but he sounded more amused than anything. Pulling her hands out of his pants, Darcy let Pietro bend over and pick up the key card. He dropped it again when she smacked him on the ass.

“Now we’re even,” shrugged Darcy when Pietro glared up at her. Just as she decided she was tired of waiting for him, Pietro was a blur of motion. When he stilled, the door was unlocked and he led her in with a grumble. Picking up her shoes, Darcy followed Pietro into the room. She didn’t have much time to take a look around. Once the door shut, he pinned her against it. For a moment, the world was a blur but she wasn’t as out of sorts this time when it was over. 

Shoes and purse fell to the floor as Pietro found her mouth again. Darcy closed her eyes, just letting herself feel his hands as they pressed against her curves and the softness of his hair as she ran her fingers through the strands. Her legs moved to wrap around his waist and he lifted her to help. The change in position gave Pietro more access to Darcy’s neck and chest. He gladly took advantage and pressed warm, wet kisses wherever he could find skin. It dragged soft mewling noises from Darcy. At the encouragement, one of his hands ran up her thigh and tugged at the waist of her panties. As he slipped them down, he found resistance halfway down her ass where her legs were gripping his body. Darcy distracted his attempts to rip one of her favourite pairs by tugging roughly on his hair. She leaned his head back and kissed him hard on the mouth. 

They lost themselves in the kiss. Unfortunately, Pietro lost himself so much that he also lost some of his balance and Darcy fell back into the door. The hit to her head made her dizzy.

“Are you hurt?” Pietro asked, rubbing a hand gently against the back of her head. Earnest eyes looked up at her and for a second, she forgot about the pain. 

“Yeah but I’m okay.”

The door was impressively sturdy and had yet to shake underneath their weight. Darcy wasn’t sure whether she should thank Pepper or Tony for that. Though to be honest, it was probably Pepper because Darcy would never thank Tony for anything ever because he would never stop reminding her about it.

Once the sharp pain passed, Pietro leaned her shoulder blades against the door and successfully freed both his hands. He reached for the back of her dress, feeling for a zipper but frowned when he couldn’t find it. 

“Having some trouble there?” Darcy asked, pleased with the fact her dress had a hidden side zipper. 

“How does this work?” whined Pietro. Instead of helping him, Darcy continued to snicker under her breath. It was cut short when she felt him give up and reach to tear her dress in half.

“Hey! No you don’t! This is new and I look amazing in it!” Darcy said harshly, squirming in his hold and hitting him on the shoulder.

“I think you will look much better out of it. Now how do I get it off?” Pietro wondered, eventually giving up and trying to tug the straps off her shoulders. They didn’t move any further past that.

“What? Don’t I even get a tour before you try to rip off my clothes?” teased Darcy and Pietro stopped his attempts to rip her clothes off to raise an eyebrow. Taking her weight back into his arms, he pulled her from the door and spun her around the room. Taking the opportunity, Darcy tugged her panties back into place. 

“This is the living room. The kitchen,” Pietro said. The living room was decently sized with a coffee table, couch and a few chairs all facing a large entertainment selection. In the far end of the room was an open kitchen. Although Pietro couldn’t have been here for more than a few days, there was already a clutter of sweaters, shoes, scarves and makeup supplies. Pietro nodded his head towards one of the closed doors and he carried Darcy towards another. “Wanda’s room. And this is my room. Tour is finished.”

“So much for manners,” snorted Darcy. At the jab, Pietro stopped and tossed Darcy up in the air. She let out a scream then an angry growl when she landed on his shoulder. He held her thighs to keep her from moving. “I will bite you, I swear.”

“I hope you do,” said Pietro and Darcy didn’t need to see his face to know he had a shit-eating smirk. “In fact, I hope you scream some more too. But mostly my name.”

Huffing but refusing to complain, Darcy let Pietro carry her like a sack of potatoes into his room. It was more cluttered than the living room with sweatpants, more shoes and shirts tossed around. She wondered if most of the chaos in the living room was Pietro’s or if both twins were messy. Unceremoniously, Pietro dropped Darcy onto his unmade bed and she bounced twice before laying still.

“Aha!” Pietro cheered just as Darcy came up with a few choice words. He hopped into the bed next to her and reached for her side zipper. Squirming out of his reach, Darcy rolled over, taking enjoyment out of his indignant complaint.

“No, no, no. I’ve waited eight years for this. You better make it worth the wait,” demanded Darcy, sitting up and crossing her legs. Pietro grinned.

“Eight years, huh?” winked Pietro and Darcy rolled her eyes. She was probably gonna be doing that a lot now. He leaned back on his elbows, head facing the far end of the bed and kicked off his loafers.

“Don’t flatter yourself. Just a half an hour ago, I was planning on kicking you in the nads. Imagine eight years worth of rage in one kick.”

“Normally I would say you are justified but that would mean neither one of us gets to have any fun tonight,” Pietro waggled his eyebrows and Darcy stared at him for a few long seconds. 

“I still can’t decide whether I’m more angry or happy,” Darcy admitted, tugging at her hair. While she was super excited that they reconciled, she wasn’t going to let him belittle it. The memory of him was still precious in some ways. Up until this point, he’d always been somewhat of a fantasy- at least when it came to a romantic dynamic. Her imagination ran wild that first month they were friends. There was no way she could change the fact she used to create ‘make out’ or even a ‘first time’ playlists for him. 

Not that she’d tell him that now. Though they were pretty solid first tries for playlists. Still, Darcy might be ready to let go of those fantasies for reality but she was worried about what happened at the end of this. What if the sex was terrible? What if they realised they weren’t compatible? What if he didn’t call her after? Would she even want him to call her?

“Hey,” Pietro sat up and moved to wrap both arms around Darcy. When Darcy looked into his eyes, he pressed his forehead to hers. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too. Even if you were and still are an idiot,” Darcy whispered.

“You are going to have get used to that,” smiled Pietro. Just like that, all of the worry floated away. Darcy laughed, burying her head into the crook of his neck. He held her for almost a minute, just savouring the feel of having her in his arms. Softly, he murmured into her hair. “I cannot believe you are here.”

Darcy pulled away just in time to see the wonder in his eyes. A jumble of emotions churned inside her and she couldn’t make out the joy from the anxiety. To try and ground herself, she pulled Pietro down for a kiss. They both smiled as their lips pressed chastely. The sound of unzipping dragged her out of the moment. Pietro tried to shimmy her out of her dress. When that still didn’t work, his hands moved down to her panties.

“Hold up there. How about a little tit for tat before you slide into home base?” teased Darcy, tugging her dress and panties back into place before crawling onto his lap.

“That means you take of your bra? Yes? And…we have sex?” Pietro asked hopefully, face twisting slightly in confusion. Darcy snorted, smoothing her hands down his neck and chest.

“It means I do something for you if you do something for me. And yes, eventually sex. How were you in the states for two months as a teen and not learn the base system for getting frisky?”

“I did not have much chance to practice.”

“And whose fault was that?” Darcy asked expectantly. Just as a smartass answer touched his lips, she leaned in and licked just along the edge of his jaw and up under his ear. His body relaxed and he let out an intrigued hum.

“It was my fault?”

“That’s what I thought,” Darcy smirked, biting his earlobe.

“So what tit can I do for you so you keep doing that?” asked Pietro, reaching up to hold one of Darcy’s breast in his hand. Darcy reached under his shirt and lifted it up. Raising his arms, he waited for Darcy to take it off but it got stuck by his neck. With a few muffled Sokovian words, he took the shirt out of her grasp and shucked it off by himself. Darcy slid off his lap and bit back a laugh as goosebumps lined her skin. Taking a moment to appreciate his well-defined muscles, she realise that he wasn’t riddled with bullet hole wounds.

“The doctors patched me up good. Like it never happened,” Pietro smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. There was wistfulness in his voice, verging on sadness. Not knowing what to say to make it better or if there even was anything she could say, Darcy sat on her knees and pulled him into a hug. Pietro’s arms wrapped around her waist tightly and he let the crook of her neck cradle his head. She hoped reassurance cushioned him, even if only for a moment. When he pulled away, Pietro placed a hand on her neck to keep her close. He sighed relief then kissed her temple.

“Now take off your socks. I won’t have sex with a man wearing only socks,” Darcy whispered, making Pietro chuckle softly. Renewed energy filled him. 

“We will test that later,” Pietro swore with a mischievous smile, pulling off his socks and tossing them behind his head. As he did so, Darcy got off the bed and stood up to shimmy out of her dress. Once it was past her hips, it fell easily to the ground. At the sight of Darcy in a matching teal set of bra and panties, Pietro let out the air in his lungs. His eyes settled on her breasts.

“Those are new,” he observed, trying and failing to hide the excitement in his voice. Darcy crossed her arms and quirked an eyebrow. She made no move to get back into bed. Laying on his back and crossing his arms under his head, he smirked. “So…are you going to do a dance?”

“I’m gonna need another Jaded Widow before I do that,” Darcy laughed under her breath, placing a hand on her hip.

“I should get the recipe from Natasha,” Pietro pursed his lips thoughtfully. Rather than letting him continue the thought of all the havoc he could wreck with that knowledge, Darcy climbed back into bed. She crawled along Pietro’s body and he sat up. Settling on her knees, she ran her hands over his abs and chest, up along the sides of his neck and pulled his head up to kiss her.

Their tongues tugged and lips tumbled. Pietro’s hands slid along her body, gently kneading and squeezing at her ass, thighs and back. Wherever he touched, tingles of pleasure rushed through her body and pooled between her legs. She thrust along his developing bulge and he groaned into her mouth. Hands found her ass and pushed her against him to keep her going. Need shot through her. His bulge hardened even more but his belt buckle poked into Darcy’s stomach. Reaching down, she tried to blindly undo it. After a few fumbled attempts, Pietro pulled away to laugh then place an affectionate peck on her jaw when she pouted.

Untangling himself from her, Pietro moved off the bed so he could take care of the belt and zipper. He let the pants fall carelessly to the floor, stepping out of them then kicking them away. Taking a moment to appreciate the view, Darcy examined the trail of hair leading down beneath his briefs and noted it was the same dark shade as his beard.

“Not silver yet but you will be the first to know,” he promised, winking and sitting on the edge of the bed. Grabbing both her ankles, he dragged her towards him then leaned forward to ghost his mouth up her legs. He started with a kiss on her right ankle, moving up to lick a trail up her calf. On her thigh, he alternated between licks and nips. The scruff of his chin scratched along her skin. She shivered in anticipation. Wetness pooled between her legs and her nipples peaked. Reaching her hips, he gently kissed her hip bones. Holding her gaze, he moved down to kiss the wet spot of her panties. Darcy whimpered.

Smoothing his hands up her thighs, Pietro started to tug the band of her panties down ever so slightly and licked her skin just above the fabric. His tongue darted under the band and Darcy’s breath hitched. Instead of heading further south, Pietro licked up to her belly button. Pietro smirked at her disappointment and raised his head. 

“Worth the wait, right?” he asked smugly. Not giving her a chance to answer, Pietro pulled her up. Suddenly, she was sitting up and straddling him, feeling him suck at the skin above her right breast. Darcy curled around him. When the smallest bit of pain sparked, she wriggled. Sensing her discomfort, Pietro eased and licked at the spot, then moved to another to repeat the process. Darcy knew he was going to leave a number of marks but she didn’t care. Underneath her touch, his body was hot. Need burned through her. She ground down on him and he hummed against her skin, his fingers digging into her ass to push her harder against him.

As Darcy continued her slow hip movements against his, Pietro’s hands reached up to unhook her bra. She helped him slip the straps off her shoulders, tossing the item off to the side. Her hips stopped for a moment as he admired the view, reaching up to knead at her breasts and rub her nipples with his thumbs. A giddy thrill ran down her spine and pooled between her legs. Small gasps fell from her throat. Darcy closed her eyes, leaning back her head as Pietro sucked a nipple into his mouth. A moan tumbled from her lips. Her hands gripped the back of his head and neck, urging him to continue.

She knew her panties were soaked through and wanted more. As Pietro alternated between sucking on and gently squeezing her breasts, Darcy reached down and slipped her hand under the band of his briefs. Taking his hard, thick length in her grip, she gave it a few slow strokes. The other free hand reached behind to scratch Pietro’s scalp. At every other stroke, she gave an ever so slight twist. He let out a throaty groan and it rose in pitch. A strong hand gripped Darcy’s to stop her. It brought Darcy out of her daze and she looked down on Pietro, heaving and trying to catch his breath.

“Just…” he sighed, face concentrating on something completely different than what was happening in bed. Shaking his head, he accidently slipped in and out of super speed but he didn’t seem to notice. “Give me a second.”

“Having some trouble keeping up?” teased Darcy, laying her back on the bed. She kept her ass in his lap and legs around his waist but let them stretch out behind him. Moving a pillow over to prop her head on, Darcy spread out her arms over her head. Her ass bumped against his cock. From the corner of her eye, she saw Pietro’s chest heave out a rough breath at the movement. His hands ran up and down her thighs soothingly.

“No just…enjoying the view,” he promised, closing his eyes and patting her thigh.

“Mmmhm,” Darcy intoned, shutting her eyes. “Reciting soccer stats? I guess you call it football.”

He didn’t answer. The bed shifted as Pietro untangled himself from her, sliding her pantines off. Darcy opened her eyes when Pietro settled between her legs, leaning his weight on his arms. From the resolute look on his face, he sufficiently recited football stats or whatever it was he did to calm down. Placing a kiss on her forehead, Pietro trailed down to her neck where he sucked sharply right beside her pulse. A wave of pleasure shot from her neck down between her legs and she clenched. She could feel his cock through his briefs. Darcy ran her hands up his chest then down his back, settling on his ass and giving it a squeeze. When she tried to guide him to move, he rolled off her. The loss of contact left her cold. Darcy let out a frustrated mewl.

Pietro lay on his side, flush against Darcy’s. His head was propped up on one hand, the other ghosted over her skin and settled on her hip. Waiting until she looked in his eyes, Pietro bit her shoulder lightly and guided his fingers to her opening. One finger slid in slowly and when she let out a breathy sigh, a second followed. After a few motions in and out, he wet his thumb along her opening and began to rub at her clit. 

His fingers moved at a leisurely pace. Darcy’s hips moved into the motion. Closing her eyes, a contented exhale puffed out of her lungs and she reached one hand to tangle in his hair. When a small series of blissful sensations thrummed through her, she arched her back and let out a soft moan, clenching around his fingers.

She could feel his smile against her shoulder. Pietro gauged his speed and precision off of the tightening of her hold on the back of his head and the volume of moans and hums she let out. Darcy leaned back into him, trying to feel as much of his warm skin against hers as she could. So they ended up spooning. In his hold, she felt at peace. Butterflies danced in her gut. 

Pressure built between her legs, twisting into pleasure and want. It shot down to her limbs, curling her toes. Darcy could feel herself getting closer and closer to a release. A flutter of words, bordering senseless, poured out of her mouth as encouragement. Picking up speed, Pietro focused more attention on her clit. His thumb circled the nub while his breath grew ragged against her neck. The rest of her body thrummed, begging to be touched even though his focus wasn’t turned there just yet. As if sensing this, Pietro kissed her shoulder blade. He also changed the direction of his circling thumb. That was all Darcy needed to push her over the edge.

Her body stilled as the pressure released and gave out into euphoria. A loud, strangled moan started in her gut and spilled out of her throat. Darcy turned her head and pulled Pietro in for a deep kiss. Their tongues clashed roughly and their teeth clanked but she didn’t care. Twisting her body, Darcy pulled Pietro on top of her so she could wrap her arms and legs around him. He hadn’t been expecting this and tried his best not crush her or break the kiss. It was a little awkward but he did a decent enough job.

“I want you inside me now,” Darcy demanded when they finally broke for air. Her nails ran along his sides and he failed to suppress a shiver.

“That I can do,” he breathed, kissing her once more then sitting up to move off of her. Impatiently, he rolled his briefs down and tossed them away. Darcy watched his muscles move and shift before settling her gaze at his hard cock. Although her impulse was to wrap her hand around the thick length, she squashed the urge and licked her lips instead.

“Condoms are in the drawer,” Pietro indicated, pulling Darcy out of the dirty thoughts that she dearly wanted to explore tonight. She looked up and saw his smug smirk. Deciding it was his dick she wanted to keep inflated rather than his ego, Darcy suppressed the urge to roll her eyes and rolled onto her stomach instead. She opened the nightstand drawer and dug. The first thing her hand found was a pill bottle, then a few candy and energy bars.

“Midnight snacks?” teased Darcy, pulling out a Cliff Bar.

“I get hungry after sex,” Pietro answered with a shrug. Darcy didn’t believe him and he added with an afterthought, “or sometimes I just get hungry in the middle of the night and don’t want to get up.”

“Speedy’s too lazy to run to the kitchen?”

Her answer was a raised brow and a tight smile. Either he was running out of quips or patience, which may be a good thing. They both gotten better at snark within the last eight years and while she appreciated it, she also could foresee them getting into never ending snark battles. Was the world really ready for that? 

Plucking the Cliff bar from her hands, Pietro tossed it back in the drawer and pulled out a foil of three condoms. He tore one off and opened the package, slipping the condom on with ease. The empty foil went into the trashcan next to the nightstand and the other two condoms were placed atop the nightstand.

“We’re going to need those later,” Pietro assured.

“Less running your mouth, more-” began Darcy but she the comment was lost on her lips when Pietro leaned down and kissed her. Wrapping her legs around his waist, she tried to urge him into her but he resisted. She let out a frustrated huff and he chuckled. That just meant she needed to take control. “Okay, I’m gonna be on top.”

“Whatever you wish,” Pietro shrugged, surprisingly laying down  without a fight. As Darcy sat on top of him, he gathered a pillow and propped himself up. Once she was straddling him, he rubbed his hands down her hips and thighs, occasionally giving them a squeeze. Darcy didn’t waste any time. She was absolutely throbbing for him now. Lining him up, she guided his length into her slowly, revelling at the sensation of being filled. She sighed in relief. Pietro groaned. Darcy clenched around him and he gasped, digging his nails into her skin. “Do that again.”

“Maybe I’ll save that for later,” Darcy promised coyly then moved her hips to shut him up. He closed his eyes and practically purred in contentment, a sentiment she shared. As he smiled, Darcy shift her upper body, trying to find a better angle for herself. Although it felt amazing, she just couldn’t hit the right spot just yet. While Darcy’s orgasms though clit stimulation were stronger, she could get one if she hit her g-spot just right. It wasn’t as intense but it was still great. The issue was she couldn’t always get it right depending on whom she was with.

Pietro opened his eyes and noticed her struggle. He found the other pillow and used it to prop himself up more. Then he began to move with her, thrusts matching hers. That was exactly what she needed. Pressure started to build again. Pietro’s hands roamed Darcy’s body, sliding past her navel and up to her breasts. Darcy moaned loudly with each thrust and caress, quivers of bliss hit deep but  her bones still yearned for something more. Clenching around him, Darcy pulled out a few foreign curses and moans from Pietro. He pinched her nipples and pleasure gripped her body. She almost lost her rhythm.

Suddenly, her body tensed as she came. Her thrusts slowed as satisfaction filled her. She clenched and pulsed around Pietro, arching her back. Goose-bumps rose along her skin. A string of gasps spilled out and Darcy finished by moaning out his name. Once the sensation ebbed, she caught her breath and quickened her pace again to get him off. 

“Time to switch,” Pietro stated and stilled Darcy’s hips with his hands. He pushed her away and pulled out. Darcy pouted at the loss even though she knew he’d be back soon enough but the urge to cuddle was overcoming her. Kissing Darcy’s lips, Pietro winked before the bedroom blurred. When she found her bearings again, she realised her head was on the pillows and Pietro was above her, settling back between her legs and pushing himself in. Darcy moaned as he re-entered, pulling out and sliding back in.

His thrusts were quick and deep, punctuated by curses and her name repeated like a mantra. Darcy pulled him closer against her body and buried her face in his neck, just enjoying the feeling of having his hot skin sliding, skimming, floating along hers. The occasional shiver ran down his spine and for a while, the only sound was of his grunts and the soft slapping of skin against skin. But this didn’t bother Darcy. She was more than happy to run her nails down Pietro’s back and enjoy the pleasant thrusting even if she knew it wouldn’t build up to another orgasm on her part. Sucking hard on his neck, she decided to work on a hickey to match hers. 

As he grew closer, his breath hitched. He rested his weight onto one arm, using the freed hand to lift Darcy’s leg up. A few more thrusts and he was gone. Letting out a rough groan, Pietro pumped through his orgasm, hips falling out of rhythm and muscles tautening. His nose nuzzled behind her ear and for a few seconds, he gripped her even tighter, inhaling deep breaths of her scent as if he wanted to remind himself that she was real. 

When his orgasm past, he slowed his movements into weak thrusts then stopped. Shifting back onto both arms, he slowly lay on top of Darcy until all his weight was on her. It was fine at first but eventually she had difficulty breathing. Pietro let out a happy noise, unaware of her struggle. As a reminder that she was being crushed, she clenched around him and he hissed with a slight jump. Darcy bit his neck.

Letting out a grunt, Pietro rolled off of her and reached out for a tissue to take of the condom. At least, that was what she assumed he did. One second he was sitting up and the next he was a blue blur by the trash. Once that was done, he lay back down and gathered her into his arms at a more acceptable speed. The spurt of energy seemed to be his last for the moment. His heavy body now hardly moved save for movements that used the least effort. As Darcy rested her head against his chest, she heard his heart beat wildly but it began to slow. Her body cooled down rapidly in the room that she now realised was freezing. Heat still radiated off of Pietro so Darcy was content to be loosely held in his warm arms, with an occasional stroke along her spine or kiss on her hairline.  

“That was definitely worth it,” Darcy happily mumbled into Pietro’s chest and he hummed in agreement.

“Give me a minute and I’ll be ready to go again,” sniffed Pietro, accent thicker and Darcy looked up at him. His eyes were shut. There was also a small red hickey forming on his neck that she was super proud of.

“Only a minute?”

“After that one…maybe two minutes.”

Sceptical but satisfied nonetheless, Darcy settled back in his arms. His breath evened out and if it wasn’t for the sporadic tightening of his grip around her, she would have assumed he’d already fallen asleep. His pulse had slowed but still sounded fast and she wondered if it was now apart of his increased metabolism thing.

“Miss Lewis,” Tony’s new system FRIDAY said primly. Beneath Darcy, Pietro jumped a little. He quickly relaxed but she couldn’t help but notice that his hold on her stayed a fraction tighter. “Miss Foster has been trying to contact you and has sent quite a few text messages to your mobile. I thought now was the best time to inform you.”

“Do you have to?” whined Pietro when Darcy tried to pull out of his hold so she could find her phone. It was a horrible attempt to keep her still and Darcy was able to pull away easily. She decided to blame his exhaustion rather than lack of conviction.

“Job’s never done,” Darcy sang, tugging a blanket off the bed so she could wrap it around herself. Without his body next to hers, the cold air attacked her. A shiver ran down her spine and she pulled the blanket up so it draped over her shoulders. Somewhat protected against the elements, Darcy made her way back to the living room where her purse and cell phone would be. Sure enough, her purse was tossed by the door. Grabbing the bag, she walked back to the bedroom to find Pietro was now sitting up and eating a candy bar. When he saw Darcy’s questioning gaze, he shrugged.

“I said I get hungry after sex.”

“Whatever,” Darcy tried to hide her smile with an eye roll but from Pietro’s expression, she was sure she didn’t nail it. As he finished his candy, he tossed the wrapped to the trashcan and missed. It didn’t bother him and he took a few gulps of water from a bottle lying next to the bed. 

The moment Darcy sat on the edge of bed, he slid to wrap his body around hers. Digging through her small purse and quickly finding her phone, Darcy realized too late that Pietro had somehow unwrapped the blanket from her body. The way he was kissing along the back of her neck was terribly distracting. A familiar hardening bulge began to poke at her side.

“You really are fast,” Darcy bit her lip and leaned into his touch.

“I haven’t even started,” promised Pietro filthily. Something wet massaged a small line up her shoulder blade, vibrating pleasantly and it took a long moment before Darcy realised it was his tongue.  

“ _Oh_ , that’s new,” breathed Darcy, body heating up just thinking about the possibilities of this. She was just about to toss her phone to the side when it buzzed, reminding her of Jane. This better be world ending.

Unlocking her phone, Darcy saw she had about fifteen text messages from Jane and a brand new one from Thor. She read through Jane’s first and they mostly consisted of questions of where Darcy was, if she was having an emotional break down, if she needed Thor back up against Pietro’s douchery (this one Pietro particularly enjoyed reading) and general food updates about the party. Trying to come up with an appropriate text that elegantly conveyed everything that just happened, Darcy took a quick look at Thor’s. She assumed it was just sent at the behest of Jane but it was only two words.

_BLACK CIPHER_

“What the hell is black cipher?” asked Darcy, staring at the small screen. From the way Pietro was now massaging her back with both his tongue and hands, he obviously stopped caring and maybe she should too. Even though Thor liked to play the dumb puppy that didn’t fully understand Midgardian ways and pop culture, he totally did. From Jane’s stories of Asgard, the world was light years ahead of them but for some reason, Thor still liked to text in full caps or pretend to be confused by computers. Darcy was sure that was just to annoy Tony because occasionally she’d often get very well worded, grammar perfect texts from Thor. Also there were times where he used way too much text speak but she tried not to dwell on that. Just as she lay her phone down on the bedside table, Thor’s archaic use of terms clicked.

Sitting up straight and gasping, Darcy jumped out of the bed despite Pietro’s protests.

“Oh god! Code Black! Code Black!” she practically screamed. Pietro fell back and looked up at her in confusion but enjoying the view.

“What is Code Black? Aliens?” frowned Pietro, a little annoyed that there were colour codes he wasn’t informed about during his initiation into the Avengers. Still, he made no move to suit up at the potential threat, letting his eyes slowly wander up and down her body.

“No, it’s a Jane code. It means Nathan Garrett is here. Why the fuck did Tony invite him? I bet he did this on purpose because he knew we’d be here, that fucker,” cursed Darcy. Of course Tony would try to start shit between the scientists. While sometimes encouraged Tony’s hobby of annoying cranky old scientists that had outdated views on society, he still should do it on his own time away from Jane. 

“This Nathan Garrett…is a bad man?” Pietro asked, still trying to piece together what the hell was happening. Darcy had began to search for her clothes, successfully pulling her panties back on. Pietro was certainly not happy about that and snatched her bra before she could get to it. Holding it out of her reach, he stared at her, warning for her to continue or never get her clothes back. Darcy sighed, crossing her arms over her breasts.

“He’s a douche nozzle and her nemesis. Old, super smart and taught at Culver’s rival school. He also destroyed Jane’s rep after Puente Antiguo- that’s the first time we met Thor. Anyway, he made sure she lost all her grants, which wasn’t that much to begin with and once SHIELD ditched us, we were working out of her mom’s garage.”

“Why would he do that?” frowned Pietro, face twisting slightly in anger. 

“Jane said it was because of some banquet where she slammed him for his opinions of women in science. Embarrassed him in front of his friends and then went on a warpath. Now she’s established again with the science to back her up, he acts like nothing ever happened and is just a general skeezebag. Last time Jane saw him, she almost stabbed him in the eye with a fork at a breakfast buffet.”

“Thor is there. He will make sure the tiny woman will not stab anyone,” Pietro waved it all off, not believing anyone of Jane’s size would be able to cause much damage if she didn’t have super powers. Darcy rolled her eyes as he tried to keep the bra away from her but still cop a feel. She slapped his hands away.

“Thor thinks it’s freaking hi- _lar_ -ious, so he hardly does anything. He’s agreed to give me warning about it though if I’m not around. Which means I need to get up there fast. Ugh, Garrett’s gonna hit on me again. I always have to take like, three hot showers after to wash off all the nasty.”

“Or you could avoid this prljavi starac by staying here with me and have more sex. Eh?” Pietro said smoothly, tossing her bra across the room and sitting back down on the bed. While she had no idea what a ‘prljavi starac’ was, hearing him speak in his mother tongue was sending all sorts of shivers and emotions through her body. This put Darcy in a dilemma. Jane needed to _not_ murder a surprisingly spry octogenarian tonight but Darcy _really_ wanted to keep having sex with Pietro. Especially if he kept talking like that.

“A…privy- what now?” scoffed Darcy, horribly failing to hide how flustered she was getting. She felt herself blush and twirled a lock of hair around her finger. Quirking an eyebrow, Pietro sat up against the pillows.

“Prljavi starac. It means uh, old nasty man,” explained Pietro slowly, crossing his arms and watching Darcy carefully.  

“Of course,” shrugged Darcy nonchalantly. Huffing, she flicked her hair and grabbed her phone, pretending to be very interested in it. “Now give me back my bra. I have to get back to Jane.”

“Your bra is over there,” Pietro nodded his head in the general direction of where he had just thrown the offending item of clothing. Then he fixed Darcy with a calculating stare and leaned forward. “Dali ti se sviđa kad govorim ovako?”

A small sigh flew out of Darcy’s lungs. A smirk settled on Pietro’s lips as he watched her. Darcy just stared at him like a deer caught in headlights. Her phone fell from her hands to the floor and she didn’t even care. All she wanted was for him to keep using his tongue, either by speaking Sokovian or licking her body. In the back of her mind, her conscious whispered ‘paying Jane’s bail’ and Darcy wrinkled her nose.

“But Jane. Stabby,” Darcy managed to garble out. Almost defeated, she sat down on the edge of the bed. It took no time for Pietro to lean her back in his arms. He trailed open-mouthed kisses on her neck and shoulder.

“The Avengers can keep a small scientist and old man from fighting,” Pietro assured her but added an after thought. “At least I hope so.”

“You’re not making it better- _oh_!” whined Darcy, crying out when Pietro’s fingers started to play with her clit using a soft, sweeping motion.

“Ja ne pokušavam,” said Pietro smugly into her ear. His fingers pushed harder and Darcy’s toes curled. Reaching behind her, she gripped Pietro’s hair roughly. He nibbled at her earlobe. 

“Okay…just, once. Make it quick. Then- _God right there_! Have to go back, right after.”

“U tren oka,” Pietro smirked into Darcy’s neck, removing his hands from her clit and roughly turning her around so he could pull her into his lap.

 

* * *

  

“I can’t go up there with my neck like this,” Darcy complained, walking out of the bathroom. After a very satisfying quickie, the both of them cleaned up and tossed their clothes back on. Darcy swung by the bathroom to reapply some makeup and perfume only to see the numerous small red marks over her neck and down her chest. Standing outside the bathroom, she crossed her arms and stared at Pietro. He tried to look innocent but it was ruined by his smug smile.

“So will we stay down here? I can order a pizza if you are hungry,” he asked, smoothing out his shirt. For the past five minutes, Pietro hadn’t stopped intermittently talking about food. Getting hungry after sex definitely wasn’t a lie. It was probably to do with his metabolism as he had used a few more speedster tricks this last round.

“Not gonna happen. Besides, apparently they’ve started serving mini calzones upstairs so you can eat while I keep Jane out of jail. Does Wanda have some foundation I could use?”

In a blue and white blur, Pietro disappeared out of the room. Just as Darcy was about to turn back into the bathroom, the blur reappeared and a wad of fabric hit her face. It fell to the floor before she knew what happened and Darcy realised it must be one of Wanda’s scarves. She bent down to pick up the red pashmina and noticed that it did happen to match her outfit. A wry smile was offered to Pietro. “Thanks, ever the gentleman I see.”

“I do what I can,” Pietro said cheerfully. Carefully wrapping the scarf around her neck and checking to make sure it did an adequate job of hiding all her hickeys, Darcy tossed everything else back into her purse and made her way out. She stopped by the front door to slip on her heels and noticed that Pietro was right behind her. He wore the hickey on his neck proudly or maybe he hasn’t realised it was there. Darcy had no intention of telling him either way.

As they made their way through the halls, Pietro stepped in line with Darcy and took her hand in his. Looking over in surprise, Darcy caught his smile. He linked their fingers and squeezed her hand reassuringly. She squeezed back when they stopped in front of the elevator, heart beating just a little bit faster. Yet, something didn’t sit right on her gut. It was a simple enough action but from him it seemed so intimate.

Was he her boyfriend now? The idea...did not freak her out. Things between them definitely weren’t fixed. Not by a long shot. He hadn’t even said sorry for being an ass in high school. Darcy wondered what his reasoning was for assuming everything was fine and dandy now. Sex and an accent couldn’t magically fix what happened all those years ago. Maybe it was partly her fault for jumping right into sex? No, she refused to regret it. They had both been aching for it even with the tension. Despite the water trickling over the bridge, the ease between them was nice. Once they stepped inside the elevator, Pietro turned back to her, still oblivious to her inner turmoil.

 “Why Code Black? Why not red?”

“Because Garrett’s soul is blacker than the abyss in a wormhole,” Darcy explained, relieved to be focusing on someone else and Pietro raised his brow in disbelief. “At least, that’s what Jane says.”   

“Do you need me to defend your honor?” Pietro asked once the doors reopened. The thought obviously amused him. They walked out hand in hand, shoulders bumping. The music and chatter of the party had gotten louder, leaking out into the hall. Flirty laughter hit Darcy's ears and she wondered what Pietro's fan club would think. Petty satisfaction coiled in her stomach. For a few seconds, her grip on his hand tightened and he looked at her in concern.

“No. I think I’ll be fine,” Darcy assured him. They reached the entrance to the party. Looking in, it was obvious a few more people had arrived. There was more dancing, more mingling and a lot more waiters carrying around trays of food. Darcy saw Pietro eyeing a passing tray of deconstructed egg rolls. “I’m perfectly fine if you ditch me for food right now. Jane Whispering can be bewildering for onlookers. But save me a few deconstructed egg rolls.”

“Okay, I will be back soon,” promised Pietro, kissing Darcy sweetly on the cheek. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. After a light smack on her ass, he followed the waiter through the crowd towards one of the tables of food. Rolling her eyes, Darcy searched the crowd and found the back of Thor’s head. Assuming that Thor would not leave Jane in such a trying but also amusing time, Darcy headed that way.

The crowds had gotten a little more difficult to manoeuvre. More people were drunk and didn’t care that much about being in anyone’s way. Forcing her way through, Darcy finally reached Thor and Jane, only to find them talking to a stocky, brown haired man in a worn leather jacket. Sam was also with them and gave her a knowing grin.

“Hi,” Darcy said awkwardly, trying to figure out if Jane had already disposed of the body. Though if she’d done that, she’d look a lot happier and right now she wore a conflicted expression. Everyone turned to her. The man gave her an appreciative once over, punctuated by a shy smile. It was kind of cute. He had a rugged handsomeness to him.

“Darcy! You must meet Sir Dane Whitman! Sir Whitman, please meet Lady Darcy Lewis,” Thor introduced, waving his flask in a jolly manner. The fancy speak was coming out, meaning he’d been liberal with the mead. Dane turned to Darcy and offered a charming smile and his hand. When Darcy reached out, he gently took her hand and kissed her knuckles with a bow.

“M’lady,” Dane winked. Raising her brow, Darcy turned to Thor and wondered if he snuck any Asgardians through the Bifrost without telling anyone.

"He's Nathan Garrett's nephew," Jane explained.

"Oh... _oh_." Realization dawned and Darcy looked between Jane and Dane, who still held her hand but was now looking a little more nervous. As politely as she could, Darcy slipped her hand from his grasp. "So, are you also as evil as your uncle."

"Smooth," Sam criticized and Darcy just shrugged. How else was she supposed to gauge the situation? She got a Code Black. Though given how much Thor was drinking, perhaps she should downgrade it to Code Grey. 

"It's fine," Dane insisted, fidgeting with a slight frown. "Uncle Nathan died about a month ago. It's been kept quiet."

"Crap," Darcy muttered and Jane nodded in agreement. Looks like they had to take the high road and not speak ill of the dead. 

“I understand my uncle may have...made mistakes in the past. I am hoping to right some of his wrongs,” clarified Dane as he turned to Jane. “Starting with Jane. I deeply apologize for what my uncle did to your career. It was out of line and he shouldn’t have tried to destroy your reputation. Though obviously, even he couldn’t keep you down, for which I’m glad.”

“I guess I forgive him,” pouted Jane,crossing her arms in bitterness. She lost Thor then her grants. Hell, Darcy was _just_ starting to get paid. It was a hard time for both of them. Thor rubbed Jane’s back and her anger faltered. “What with him being dead, that may make me petty if I don’t.”

“Just remember that in the end, science won,” advised Darcy. She leaned in and added in a loud whisper, “but really you won.”

“Let us cheer to Jane! And Sir Whitman’s legacy! To happier beginnings!” Thor shouted, raising his flask. No one else seemed to have a drink so they lifted their fists awkwardly.

“Huzzah?” Darcy offered and Thor beamed at her when everyone followed, though not nearly as enthusiastic as he would have liked. Silence fell over the group. 

“By the way, I like the new accessory,” Sam told Darcy smugly. Because they were standing across from each other, he couldn't whisper.

“Where _did_ you get that scarf?” Jane asked, suddenly noticing Darcy’s slightly different appearance. “And where have you been for the last hour? I was worried you were hiding in the bathroom but I couldn't find you.”

“Lewis, nothing to be ashamed of for crying in a bathroom at a Stark Party. Some women dream of that opportunity,” Tony Stark said grandly, inviting himself into the conversation. Darcy rolled her eyes and caught Sam doing the same thing. Inserting himself rudely in between Darcy and Dane, Tony took a moment to sniff Darcy. Poking at her scarf, he tried to move it to get a better look at her hidden skin. Although she successfully slapped his hands away, she couldn’t stop him from spotting a few red marks. With a leer, he leaned into her. “What sex den did you crawl out of?”

“Mine,” Pietro announced proudly as Darcy fixed Tony with a glare. As he sauntered over, he lifted his head so his hickey was more visible. In each hand, Pietro was holding plates piled high with food. After handing one plate to Darcy, he used his free arm to wrap around her waist and pull her from Tony's clutches. When he noticed Dane, he side-eyed him suspiciously at the crestfallen look the other man gave the couple. “Where’s the prljavi starac? Is this the prljavi starac?”

“No he’s dead,” clarified Darcy, leaning into Pietro’s hold, enjoying his warmth. “That’s his nephew.” 

“Oh,” Pietro intoned, quickly losing interest. Dane’s crestfallen expression turned grumpy. Realizing how rude she was being because it's not like Dane asked for an asshole uncle, Darcy sent him an apologetic look. Dane seemed to accept it. The arm around her pulled her towards the exit. “Okay, now that everything is fine here, we will be going back.”

“Didn’t anyone teach you that dining and dashing is rude?” Tony asked, blocking their way.

“No, but the orphanage did teach me to never let an opportunity pass,” Pietro shot back, moving his arm so he could gesture. Perfectly fine with Pietro fighting her battles, Darcy focused her attention on the plate in her hands. It was filled with a myriad of goodies including a small wedge of brie covered in a red, spicy chutney. As Tony and Pietro bickered, Darcy picked up the morsel. She bit into it and for a moment, enjoyed the delicious flavours of smooth quality cheese and chutney mingling together, up until the point she realised some of the chutney was sliding off of the brie, down her chin and onto the scarf. Horror hit her. Why did she always have to spill food on herself at every freaking party? She should just wear a bib when she got near food.

The chutney never hit the scarf. Darcy looked down to see the chutney landed neatly onto a cracker Pietro was holding. With a wink, he ate the cracker. A second later and the chutney was wiped off her chin. Still trying to comprehend what just happened, Darcy kept staring at Pietro as he licked his thumb. Eventually when he didn’t notice, Darcy turned to Jane and saw she too was staring at him with an open mouth.

“Oh my god,” Jane burst, interrupting the snark fest. All eyes turned to Jane as she pinned Pietro with an impressed once over. “You two are perfect for each other.”

“What?” Pietro’s brow furrowed in mid-chew. Darcy just smiled, cheeks heating slightly. The arm around her waist tightened its hold. Nudging his shoulder with her nose, she let the butterflies in her stomach dance up to her chest. It was silly, she knew but the giddiness made her feel like a teenager again. At least, a teen without all the stupid angst and curfews. So she was going to let this happen. They could deal with the serious stuff later.  

“Did no one else just see that?” Jane waved an arm, looked to the rest of their group. Both Thor and Sam wore fond smiles, privy to Darcy's difficulty at keeping dips off her clothes. Tony and Dane were just confused. 

“So many cheese baskets, Sam. So many,” Darcy said, directing her words to Pietro and lacing them with intent. Looking down, Pietro caught her gaze and saw the promises even if he didn’t understand the words. He gave her a dirty smirk hinting at lewd intentions. The night was far from over. Now that Jane was okay, Darcy was more than ready to refuel and go a few more rounds. 

“Well it is getting late, we must go,” Pietro announced, keeping his eyes on Darcy. Taking her hand, he began to drag her towards freedom. Sam’s chuckle could be heard as they weaved through the crowds. Even if everything wasn’t magically fixed, they’d found each other again. There was still a spark between them after all these years. That’s what mattered. But mushy feelings aside, now she was going to rip his clothes off and use his body as a platter. 

Being an adult was so much better than being a teenager. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations (I used google translate. Please bear with me if it is incorrect) 
> 
> Prljavi starac- Dirty old man  
> Dali ti se sviđa kad govorim ovako?- Do you like it when I talk like this?  
> Ja ne pokušavam- I'm not trying  
> U tren oka- In the blink of an eye


End file.
